Title 40Public Buildings, Property, and WorksRelease 119-73

§6301 Definition

Title 40 › Subtitle SUBTITLE II— - PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND WORKS › Part PART C— - FEDERAL BUILDING COMPLEXES › Chapter CHAPTER 63— - SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, AND JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS › § 6301

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Names three places as "specified buildings and grounds" and says their nearby land counts too. First, the Smithsonian Institution and its Mall museums and grounds — the main Smithsonian buildings on the Mall, the entrance walks, service roads and parking, the National Zoological Park inside its fence and the public space next to it, and any other Smithsonian land the Secretary decides is needed for protection. Second, the National Gallery of Art and its grounds up to the curb lines of Constitution Avenue NW, Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Madison Drive NW and nearby streets as described in the law, plus any other Gallery land the Director adds for protection and operation. Third, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, with boundaries by nearby freeway walls, bridge approaches, Rock Creek Parkway, New Hampshire Avenue and F Street, shown on the map titled "Transfer of John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts", map number 844/82563 dated April 20, 1994 (amended by map number 844/82563A dated May 22, 1997), which is on file at the National Capital Region office of the National Park Service.

Full Legal Text

Title 40, §6301

Public Buildings, Property, and Works — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In this chapter, the term “specified buildings and grounds” means—
(1)The Smithsonian Institution and its grounds, which include the following:
(A)The Smithsonian Building, the Arts and Industries Building, the Freer Gallery of Art, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the National Museum of African Art, the S. Dillon Ripley Center, and all other buildings of the Smithsonian Institution within the Mall, including the entrance walks, unloading areas, and other pertinent service roads and parking areas.
(B)The National Zoological Park comprising all the buildings, streets, service roads, walks, and other areas within the boundary fence of the National Zoological Park in the District of Columbia and including the public space between that fence and the face of the curb lines of the adjacent city streets.
(C)All other buildings, service roads, walks, and other areas within the exterior boundaries of any real estate or land or interest in land (including temporary use) that the Smithsonian Institution acquires and that the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution determines to be necessary for the adequate protection of individuals or property in the Smithsonian Institution and suitable for administration as a part of the Smithsonian Institution.
(2)(A)The National Gallery of Art and its grounds, which extend—
(i)to the line of the face of the south curb of Constitution Avenue Northwest, between Seventh Street Northwest, and Fourth Street Northwest, to the line of the face of the west curb of Fourth Street Northwest, between Constitution Avenue Northwest, and Madison Drive Northwest; to the line of the face of the north curb of Madison Drive Northwest, between Fourth Street Northwest, and Seventh Street Northwest; and to the line of the face of the east curb of Seventh Street Northwest, between Madison Drive Northwest, and Constitution Avenue Northwest;
(ii)to the line of the face of the south curb of Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, between Fourth Street and Third Street Northwest, to the line of the face of the west curb of Third Street Northwest, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Madison Drive Northwest, to the line of the face of the north curb of Madison Drive Northwest, between Third Street and Fourth Street Northwest, and to the line of the face of the east curb of Fourth Street Northwest, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Madison Drive Northwest; and
(iii)to the line of the face of the south curb of Constitution Avenue Northwest, between Ninth Street Northwest and Seventh Street Northwest; to the line of the face of the west curb of Seventh Street Northwest, between Constitution Avenue Northwest and Madison Drive Northwest; to the line of the face of the north curb of Madison Drive Northwest, between Seventh Street Northwest and the line of the face of the east side of the east retaining wall of the Ninth Street Expressway Northwest; and to the line of the face of the east side of the east retaining wall of the Ninth Street Expressway Northwest, between Madison Drive Northwest and Constitution Avenue Northwest.
(B)All other buildings, service roads, walks, and other areas within the exterior boundaries of any real estate or land or interest in land (including temporary use) that the National Gallery of Art acquires and that the Director of the National Gallery of Art determines to be necessary for the adequate protection of individuals or property in the National Gallery of Art and suitable for administration as a part of the National Gallery of Art.
(3)The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which extends to the line of the west face of the west retaining walls and curbs of the Inner Loop Freeway on the east, the north face of the north retaining walls and curbs of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge approaches on the south, the east face of the east retaining walls and curbs of Rock Creek Parkway on the west, and the south curbs of New Hampshire Avenue and F Street on the north, as generally depicted on the map entitled “Transfer of John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts”, numbered 844/82563 and dated April 20, 1994 (as amended by the map entitled “Transfer of John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts”, numbered 844/82563A and dated May 22, 1997), which shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the National Capital Region, National Park Service.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 630140:193v.Oct. 24, 1951, ch. 559, § 9, 65 Stat. 635; Pub. L. 88–391, § 3, Aug. 1, 1964, 78 Stat. 366; Pub. L. 90–376, § 3, July 5, 1968, 82 Stat. 286; Pub. L. 102–336, Aug. 7, 1992, 106 Stat. 864; Pub. L. 103–279, § 9(c), July 21, 1994, 108 Stat. 1417; Pub. L. 105–95, § 4 (related to section 9(3) of the Act of October 24, 1951), Nov. 19, 1997, 111 Stat. 2149. In clause (1)(A), the words “National Museum of American History” are substituted for “Museum of History and Technology” because of section 3 of the Act of October 13, 1980 (Public Law 96–441, 20:71 note). In clause (1)(C), the words “the Smithsonian Institution acquires” are substituted for “that shall hereafter be acquired by the Smithsonian Institution” to eliminate unnecessary words. In clause (3), the words “the site of” are omitted as unnecessary and for consistency in the revised section.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2017—Par. (2). Pub. L. 115–31 designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), redesignated former subpars. (A) to (C) as cls. (i) to (iii), respectively, of subpar. (A), and added subpar. (B).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

40 U.S.C. § 6301

Title 40Public Buildings, Property, and Works

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73